Saudi Foreign Minister Prince
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein
Amirabdollahian, have agreed to meet during the ongoing Muslim
holy month of Ramadan under a deal to restore ties, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Both ministers spoke by phone for the second time in a few
days, SPA said on Monday.
“During the call, a number of common issues were discussed
in light of the tripartite agreement that was signed in the
People’s Republic of China. The two ministers also agreed to
hold a bilateral meeting between them during the ongoing month
of Ramadan,” SPA said.
Ramadan is likely to end on April 20.
Earlier this month, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to revive
relations after years of hostility that had threatened stability
and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle
East from Yemen to Syria.
READ MORE:
Deal with Iran does not mean ‘all issues resolved’ – Saudi Arabia
Mutually beneficial
The deal between the regional powers and long-time rivals, brokered by China, was
announced after previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between
top security officials from the two countries.
Analysts say both sides stand to benefit from
de-escalation, as Iran seeks to undercut US efforts to isolate
it in the region and Saudi Arabia tries to focus on economic
development.
Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its
embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two
countries over Riyadh’s execution of a Shia cleric.
The kingdom also has blamed Iran for missile and drone
attacks on its oil facilities in 2019 as well as attacks on
tankers in Gulf waters. Iran denied those allegations.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has also carried
out cross-border missile and drone attacks into Saudi Arabia,
which leads a coalition fighting the Houthis, and in 2022
extended the strikes to the United Arab Emirates.
READ MORE:
Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume diplomatic ties after tensions
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